MarkForged<\/a> (stylized as MARKFORG3D) is the Boston-area startup behind the Mark One, a 3D printer that launched in its current form in September and is billed as the world\u2019s first to extrude carbon fiber. The advantages of this material \u2014 typically used in the production of airplanes, spaceships, racecars, bicycles, and military vehicles \u2014 are myriad: it\u2019s thin, light, heat-tolerant, and hardier than the average 3D printer filament.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s 20 times stiffer than ABS, five times stronger than ABS, and has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than 6061-T6 Aluminum,\u201d Klein told Architizer during day one of the Consumer Electronics Show<\/a> in Las Vegas, which makes Mark One suitable for printing industrial-strength parts \u2014 as opposed to the tchotchkes that home 3D printers are usually limited to (Star Wars-themed or otherwise<\/a>).<\/p>\n The machine\u2019s rapid prototyping begins by laying down a nylon filament, a lower-cost material ideal for printing trial and error. Once you\u2019ve tweaked your design to its ideal specifications, you can bolster that nylon through Composite Filament Fabrication or CFF, reinforcement with continuous strands of Kevlar, fiberglass, or carbon fiber.<\/p>\n \u201cBasically what separates us from a lot of the other companies is that the parts that come out of this machine are real functional parts,\u201d Klein said, showing off his inability to bend the 3D-printed racecar part in his hand. Founder Greg Mark, aerospace engineer, actually worked with such composite materials during his former days as racecar-part designer.<\/p>\n The Mark One can produce objects with dimensions as great as 12 x 6.25 x 6.25 inches, ready immediately, with no curing time. It\u2019s on view at the Consumer Electronics Show through January 9.<\/p>\n